Air conditioner



P 1960 c. M. BoswoRTH, JR 2,952,993

AIR CONDITIONER Filed Dec. 13, 1957 WATER OUTLET INVENTOR.

CYRUS M.BOSWORTH ,JR. BY R ATTORNEY United States Patent i ice AIR CONDITIONER Cyrus M. Bosworth, Jr., Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N. a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 13, 1957, Ser. No. 702,619

8 Claims. (Cl. 62-271) This invention relates to air conditioning and more particularly to apparatus for cooling and deodorizing air.

In the co-pending application of William L. McGrath, Serial No. 649,154, filed March 28, 1957, there is disclosed a method and apparatus for removing odors from contaminated air by passing this air through triethylene glycol which absorbs the odors. The triethylene glycol containing the odors is then desorbed by heating. If desired, the heated triethylene glycol may also be scrubbed with clean air to aid desorption. The desorbed triethylene glycol is then again brought into contact with contaminated air and the foregoing cycle is repeated.

The present invention incorporates the principles of the above-described invention into an air conditioning unit which also provides cooling.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner which continuously provides cooled de- 1 odorized air.

The present invention relates to an air conditioner for desorbing and cooling contaminated air comprising a refrigeration system including an evaporator and condenser, means for storing an odor absorbing medium, a

contact member, means for bringing said odor absorbing medium from said storing means into contact with said contact member, means for passing said contaminated air through said contact member and said evaporator,

means for passing condenser cooling air over said condenser, means for passing a portion of said condenser cooling air through said odor absorbing medium con- Fi ure 2 is a modification which depicts how a water cooled condenser may be utilized to practice the present invention.

In Figure 1 there is shown an air conditioner 10- having a casing 11 which is divided by partition 12. into an evaporator chamber 13 and a condenser chamber 14. The refrigeration system includes a compressor 15 and a condenser 16, both of which are mounted in chamber 14, and an evaporator 17, which is mounted in chamber 13. The refrigerant conduits, which link the foregoing elements, and the expansion member have been omitted from the drawing for the sake of clarity. However, it is to be understood that the refrigeration circuit may be of any type which is conventional in the art.

Forming a part of casing 11 are grille 18 and grille 19 which permit air to be cooled and condenser cooling air to be induced into chambers 13 and 14, respectively. An evaporator fan 20 is mounted on a bracket 21, which is suitably affixed to the wall of casing 11. Fan 20 induces the air to be cooled through grille 18 and causes it to pass in contact with evaporator 17 and then through louvers 22 into the area to be conditioned. A centrifugal fan 23 is provided in chamber 14 for inducing condenser cooling air through grille 19 into chamber 14 and then through condenser 16 and louvers 24. Fan 23 may be driven by a suitable mechanical linkage (not shown) which is associated with the motor of fan 20, or a separate driving motor (not shown) may be provided.

In addition to providing cooling with the above described structure, the air conditioner of the present invention also de-odorizes contaminated air. To this end a sump 25 is provided which contains triethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or any other suitable odor absorbing medium which can operate in the same manner as the foregoing substances. A pump 26, which is adapted to be driven by the motor of fan 20, is placed in conduit 27 which communicates with heat exchanger 28, which in turn communicates by means of conduit 29 with sump 25. Pump 26 will therefore cause triethylene glycol to pass into conduit 30 to be discharged from spray 31. Located under spray 31 is a contact member 32 through which the triethylene glycol is adapted to seep. Contact member 32 may be fabricated of Wire mesh, expanded metal, metal excelsior, or any other suitable type of material which will provide a relatively large amount of surface area for the triethylene glycol while permitting air to flow therethrough. The passing of contaminated air in contact with contact member 32 having the triethylene glycol thereon causes this a-ir to be de-odorized because the triethylene glycol absorbs the odors from the air. The air then passes through evaporator 17 where 'it is cooled prior to its discharge through louvers 22 into the area to be conditioned.

The contaminated triethylene glycol is received in sump 33 as it leaves contact member 32. A conduit 34 having heat exchange coil 35 therein (which is located in heat exchanger 28) permits the contaminated triethylene glycol to be passed to an area where it is desorbed. A pump 34' in conduit 34 causes the contaminated triethylene glycol to flow through the latter. A heating coil 36, which is wound about conduit 34 heats the contaminated triethylene glycol prior to its discharge from conduit 34 into a column 37 which is packed with a suitable filler substance 38, such as ceramic tower packing or a loose packing of stainless steel wire which will provide a large contact area for the triethylene glycol without causing an objectionably high pressure drop of the air which is caused to pass through the column in the manner described hereafter.

A venturi section 39 is coupled between the outlet of fan 23 and condenser 16. As fan 23 operates, the flow of air through venturi 39 will cause air to be induced upwardly through column 37 which has one end thereof in communication With the neck of the venturi. The triethylene glycol which fiows downwardly over filler 38 (and which has been heated by heating element 36 to drive off the odors therein) is further desorbed by coming into contact with relatively clean air which passes upwardly through column 37. The desorbed triethylene glycol drops from column 37 into sump 25 and the foregoing cycle is then repeated.

As stated above, the amount of desorption depends upon both the amount of heat and the amount of scrubbing which are provided. Heat exchanger 28 tends to increase the efliciency of both the odor absorption from the air and the desorption of the triethylene glycol because it cools the clean triethylene glycol passing to the contact member 32 While it tends to heat the contaminated triethylene glycol passing to column 37, it being understood that the cool triethylene glycol will tend to absorb odors from contaminated air whereas the heated triethylene glycol will tend to give off its odors.

In Figure 2 it is shown how the present invention may h 3 be applied to a water cooled air conditioner. The primed numerals in this figure depict the same elements of structure which correspond to the unprimed numerals in Figure 1. Figure 2 differs from Figure 1 in that a shelland tube condenser 40-is provided for condensing'the refrigerant which enters through conduit 41 and leaves through conduit 42. Water is provided for condenser 40 by means of water inlet 43, which is coupled to a suitable water source (not shown). The water leaves condenser 40 through tube 44 which has an aspirator'45 therein. The aspirator is coupled to column 37' byrmeans of conduit 46. It can readily be seen that as water flows through conduit 44, aspirator 45 will be operativeto cause air to flow upwardly through packing 38' in column 37' as the contaminated triethylene glycol passes downward ly from conduit 34' over this packing.

It can thus be seen that I have provided an air conditioner which will both cool and de-odorize air. While I have disclosed preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: i

1. An air conditioner for desorbing and cooling contaminated air comprising a refrigeration system including an evaporator and condenser, an odor absorbing medium, means for storing the odor absorbing medium, a contact member, means for bringing said odor absorbing medium 4. An air conditioner for desorbing and cooling contaminated air comprising a refrigeration system including an evaporator and condenser; means for storing an odor absorbing medium, a contact member, means for bringing said odor absorbing medium from said storing means into contact with said contact member, means for passing said contaminated air'throu'gh saidcontact member and said evaporator, means for passing condenser cooling air over said condenser comprising a fan having a venturi section for causing said condenser cooling air to pass to said condenser, means for passing a portion of said condenser cooling air through said odor absorbing medium containing odors absorbed from said air to desorb said medium comprising a column aflixed to said venturi whereby air flow through said venturi induces air through said column, means for passing said odor absorbing medium containing absorbed odors into said column whereby said air passing through said column scrubs said medifrom said storing means into contact with said contact member, means forpassing said contaminated air through said contact member and said evaporator, said odor absorbing medium absorbing odors from said air by contact therewith at said contact member, means returning the contaminated odor absorbing medium from said contact member to said storing means, means for passing condenser cooling air over said condenser,means for passing a portion of said condenser cooling air prior to its passage over the condenser through said odor absorbing medium containing odors absorbed from said air to desorb said medium, and means for returning said desorbed odor absorbing medium to said storing means.

2. An air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 including means for heating said odor absorbing medium prior to passing said condenser cooling air therethrough.

3. An air conditioner for desorbing and cooling contaminated air comprising'a refrigeration system including an evaporator and condenser, an odor absorbing medium, means for storing the odor absorbing medium, a contact member, means for bringing said odor absorbing medium from said storing means into contact with said contact member, means for passing said contaminated air through said contact member and said evaporator, said odor absorbing medium absorbing odors from said air by conum, and means for returning'said desorbed odor absorb ing medium to said storing means.

7 5. An air conditioner as set forth in claim 4 including means to heat said odor absorbing medium to desorb odors therefrom.

V -6. An air conditioner for desorbing and cooling contaminated air comprising a refrigeration system including an evaporator and condenser, means for storing an odor absorbing medium, a contact member, means for bringing said odor absorbing medium from said storing means into contact with said contact member, means for passing said contaminated air through said contact member and said evaporator, means for cooling the condenser, an aspirator coupled to said condenser cooling means for causing air to flow through saidodor absorbing medium containing odors absorbed from said air to desorb said medium, and means for returning said desorbed odor absorbing mediumv to said storing means.

7. An air conditioner as set forth in claim 1 wherein said odor absorbing medium supplied to said contact means is in heat exchange relationship with the odor absorbing medium returned from said contact member thereby preheating the odor absorbing medium supplied to the desorption means to facilitate desorption thereof and cooling the odor absorbing medium supplied to the contact member to facilitate removal of odors from the contaminated area.

8. An. air conditioner as set forth in claim 3 wherein said odor absorbing medium supplied to said contact means is in heat exchange relationship with the odor absorbing medium returned from said contact member thereby preheating the odor absorbing medium supplied to the desorption means to facilitate desorption thereof and cooling the odor absorbing medium supplied to the contact member to facilitate removal of odors from the contaminated area.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,013 Smith June 28, 1938 2,672,024 McGrath Mar. 16, 1954 2,690,656 Cummings Oct. 5, 1954 

